10 lb tench instead of a wedding ring!

THE girlfriend of British dace record holder Simon Ashton has landed a tench that almost doubled her PB, and missed out on a proposal of marriage because of it.

Amy White was fishing with Geordie river expert Simon at Richworth Linear’s Hardwick Lake, near Oxford, and the 10 lb 1 oz tench was the highlight of a week-long session in which they shared ten carp to 34 lb 14 oz (the Zip Linear) and nine tench, the next biggest being 8 lb 2 oz.

Simon had set his sights on catching his first double-figure tench this season, having never fished intentionally for them before, and had promised to pop the question if he caught one.

But Amy, whose previous tench best was 5 lb 6 oz, was first to the rod as Simon dozed in the late afternoon, having been up at dawn to spot fish and prime their swim with a gallon of particles flavoured with Sonubaits Pineapple mixed with Hemp & Hali Crush groundbait.